Post riot culture festival 'a breath of fresh air'

Events took place at the Beacon of Light and Sunderland Minster

A festival to celebrate a city's culture in response to riots that took place last year has been a "breath of fresh air", organisers have said.

Unity in the Community was set up in 2024 after violent disorder in Sunderland and across the country last August.

Frankie Francis, music officer with one of the event's organisers, Sunderland Music City, said it showed "the true representation of Sunderland".

The Reverend Canon Clare MacLaren, provost of Sunderland Minster which also helped arrange the festival, said people wanted to "rejoice in all that is good about the city".

The weekend-long event aimed to showcase different cultures and creativity through a programme of live music, dance, crafts and food.

Also organised by Voluntary and Community Action Sunderland, it was expanded to two days following the success of last year's one-day event.

Organisers said music was a "universal language"

Unity in the Community committee member Folasade Fasoyiro said being asked to be involved was a "massive thing" for her.

"The event is a breath of fresh air in the wake of the riots," she said.

"People experiencing people, experiencing each other, is why this is important."

Folasade Fasoyiro described the festival as a massive thing to be part of

Canon MacLaren said the festival celebrated what people had in common.

This extended to food, which included "joloff rice and plantain and food from the Sikh temple, and the mosque, as well as pink slices and all things traditionally English", she said.

"A year on from the riots in Sunderland last year we were looking to celebrate the communities that call Sunderland home and to rejoice in all that is good about the city."

The Reverend Canon Clare MacLaren said it was a chance to rejoice about all that was good in the city

Ms Francis said music appealed to all ages and all communities and had "a taste of the undercurrent of talent and diversity this city has".

Another Sunderland Music City music officer Marty Longstaff said he was "delighted to see such a diverse set of stall holders from charities and music under the same banner of music, friendship, cohesion and unity".

"Music is a universal language and we are all here to share each other's culture," he added.